4.2 F150, hard enough worker?

[wittom]

I hope that people are coming to this section. Oh well, if not it'll just be like when I talk to myself.

My dad (and my boss) is driving a '93 F150 with the 5.0 for work (plumbing, residential, light commercial). He bought this truck a couple years ago and it's been a POS since day one with it. He has problems with most of his work trucks because he doesn't take very good care of them. I try to tell him how important preventive maintiance is. I guess you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Lately he's been talking about getting into a new"er" truck. He saw a '97 F150XL in our area. I took it apon myself to go and take a look at it. It looks real nice, for an XL. The problems that I found with it are is the 4.2 and it has over 110,000 on it. They want $6500 for it. I think he should have at least the 4.6.

What do you all think? Is this truck past it's prime? Would the 4.2 hold up to the riggors of the plumbing world? Would it stand up to my dads neglect? Could he get a lower milage, V8 F150 for a few grand more?

Thanks!

[S_Gibson]

I just purchased a '98 with a 4.2 and a friend has had a '97 with a 4.6. I'd be willing to pay a grand more for the 4.6 if I had it to do over. The 4.6 gets seems to get better fuel milage than the 4.2 I have. He seems to get about 3mpg better than me so I could make up the difference in cost rather quickly. As far as the 4.2 itself it seems like an adequate motor for me so far, although I don't ahve to tow anything. Like I said I've only had it a short while so I don't know how hard you can run it into the ground.

[AjRagno]

Originally posted by wittom
I try to tell him how important preventive maintiance is. I guess you can't teach an old dog new tricks.

Thanks!

The 4.2L has plenty of power for everyday driving as well as very good gas milage ( bad fuel milage on my truck is anything less than 18mpg).

I don't think that he should buy a '97 4.2L. Preventitive maintenance on a '97 4.2L would include replacing the head gaskets

Over the long run, the 4.6L will likely cost a bit less because it won't be leaking coolant.

[hmustang]

I think you would be better off going after a 4.6 with fewer miles on it and tell your dad to do the proper maintnence on it so it will last a good long time.

[Donate54]

do you do any towing or hauling? if so, id go with either one of the V8's over the 4.2.

[wittom]

Thanks for the responses!

No, no towing. We do have to load some heavy stuff on occasion. The E250 that I drive has the 5.4. I think that my dad should get an F150 with the 5.4. It perfect all around. It'll haul the weight without a problem and be pleasant to drive.

I keep telling my dad that I have learned a lot about the late model F150's but he will probably end up getting something without telling me. He might end up stuck with another POS. Well, I'll just keep bugging him to get a V8.

[J-150]

If your dad buys work trucks for work, and plans to keep them for years...

buy an F250 with a PSD. You an E250 with PSD.

They will last 15 years easy.

[wittom]

J-150, I agree completely. My dad doesn't want a diesel though. I'm thinking he shouldn't have one because of his tendency to let maintainence issues go. I think what he needs is something with 20k oil change intrevals, 100k tune up intrevals, and breaks that last forever. The super duties are more expensive so I don't think he would go for one.

One suggestion I made was for him to drive the van an have me drive the pick up. He want's to have the option of an open bed.

[Petrol]

Tom, As you are aware my '99 F150 5.4L recently meet with an early demise at the hands of a hamfisted no account destracted driver with just over 198,000 trouble free miles on the odo. I used the truck mainly as transportaion to and from the office and jobsites with a little light hauling / towing thrown in on occasion.

The 5.4L was / is perfect for what I 'demand' from my truck and actually was more then I 'needed' from a purly practical stand point based upon the 'average non-aggressive driver'

We have two F150 XL 4.2s in our 'fleet' (one '99 & one '00) and both serve much as mine 5.4L equipt model did and do it well. One has about 125,000 miles and the other is at about 85,000.

Though these trucks have not been 'babied' by any streach, they are still in good condition and will likily go for many more miles
in them if use remains easy.

You must understand that these have the small 'cross bed' tool boxes that are for the most part unloaded and rarily if ever haul anything other then a driver. I wouldn't recomend the 4.2L for use if your dad intends to put more then a couple tools on board.
Many plumbers will need a pipe rack to go with a 'cross box' and a couple boxes that sit on the top of the bed side rails. The weight of those tool boxes and the rack (and aero effects of them) can really work a little motor hard, even if it's just for local running.

While I agree that he doesn't need a SuperDuty PSD, I do recommend a F150 4.6L as a minimum with 5.4L being better.

The best case would be if you could find a '98 F250 LD (non superduty F250 with a 5.4L) These are now marketed as the F150 7700# payload package model and have been since the SuperDuty line was introduced. You can pick them out pretty easily by the 7 lug wheels.